Case Number 00103

ANALYZE THIS

The Charge

New York's most powerful gangster is about to get in touch with his feelings.
YOU try telling him his 50 minutes are up!

Opening Statement

Comic genius is at work with this seriously funny tale of a mobster for the
'90s and his unwilling shrink, presented in a fine disc by Warner.

The Evidence

There must be something in the air, what with the mobster and his therapist
genre making a sudden splash of success in the popular culture. Analyze
This and its HBO series cousin The Sopranos just seem so right for
the '90s, roughly mixing the no nonsense tough-guy world of the mobster with the
touchy, feely, pop a Prozac, endless therapy world of the psychiatrist. The true
key is probably that in the '90s millions upon millions of people seek
professional help for their mental troubles every day, and can understand that
even a mob boss could benefit from psychiatric therapy.

The film opens in classic mobster-movie style, as Paul Vitti (Robert De
Niro) narrates a story of how the Mafia "Commission" arranged an
ill-fated meeting in 1957 at an upstate New York farm. The
"Commission" never met again -- until we flash back to the present,
and find that a meeting has been set in two weeks (with hopefully better
results!). Paul is having some rough times, as his mentor, Manetta (Joseph
Rigano) is killed in a hit and he just can't seem to muster any enthusiasm to
beat a confession out of a traitor.

In the interim, we are introduced to Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal), a
psychiatrist with an active practice in a small town outside of New York City.
Ben is a little bored with treating the trivial mental anguish of the middle
class. He seems to yearn for something fresh and exciting, but little does he
know what is in store for him when he absent-mindedly rear-ends a car.

Two of Vitti's men, Jimmy (Richard Castellano) and Jelly (Joe Viterelli) hop
out, and forcefully dissuade Ben from exchanging insurance information, probably
because they've got a body in the trunk! Ben is quite flustered at the incident
and hands over his business card before proceeding on his way to his father's
book signing party. Matters are not improving for Paul Vitti, who is rushed to
the hospital after suffering a severe panic attack while discussing business.
Shaken, Paul confides his distress to Jelly, who tells Paul that he knows just
the head doctor!

Jelly is a man of his word, and the very next day, with Mr. Vitti in tow, he
crashes one of Ben's regular therapy sessions. A fat money clip is all the
inducement necessary for the milquetoast patient to abandon his session in favor
of the famous mobster. After just a few minutes and some basic questions, Paul
Vitti feels so good that he pronounces himself cured and happily leaves, much to
Ben's relief!

With that excitement out of the way, Ben flies down to Miami for his
impending wedding to television news reporter Laura MacNamara (Lisa Kudrow).
Pre-martial bliss is short-lived when a bedroom crisis so enrages Vitti that in
the middle of the night he sends Jelly to kidnap Ben. Ben is so shocked when
Vitti swerves between anger and crying that he sticks around for some impromptu
therapy. This time, Vitti is so impressed that he declares Ben is his doctor
(whether he wants to be or not!).

Laura is unhappy with this whole situation, but when rival mob boss Primo
Sidone (Chazz Palminteri) attempts to have Vitti killed and the would-be
assassin literally crashes the wedding, she is livid and flies back to New York
in a huff. Ben feels trapped between them, and prompts Vitti to call Sidone and
patch things up. The call is a hilarious mash of mob bluster and psychobabble
and settles nothing.

Returning to New York, Ben Sobel finds a gargantuan water fountain in his
front yard (a gift from Vitti) and a team of FBI agents in his living room who
pressure him to wear a wire to the next session. Ben refuses, but his dreams so
concern him that he tracks down Vitti at a funeral for more improvised therapy.
So far, Ben knows that Vitti's problems are somehow related to his father, but
is frustrated in his attempts to make progress.

Matters are complicated when the FBI doctors a tape and convinces Ben that
Vitti means to kill him, at the same time that Vitti is resisting the urgings of
his advisor, Salvatore Masiello (Pat Cooper) to eliminate Ben before he can leak
any mob secrets. When Masiello finally convinces Vitti that Ben is ready to
squeal to the FBI, Vitti invites Ben to a dinner at his favorite restaurant,
perhaps for his last meal?

When Ben learns that Vitti's father was murdered in that very restaurant,
and in full view of Vitti, Ben is certain that he holds the key to Vitti's
recovery. Ben flushes the wire and just in time, too, before Vitti drives him to
the middle of nowhere and seems very ready to let Ben sleep with the fishes.
Ben's quick thinking and professional skill save his life and let Vitti achieve
a breakthrough, discovering all his problems stem from overwhelming guilt over
the death of Vitti's father. Vitti is overcome with emotion and unable to fend
for himself at just the time that two more of Sidone's henchmen stage another
attempt on Vitti. Jelly saves the day once again, but not without some panicked
help from Ben.

You might think that Vitti is cured, but a schmaltzy TV commercial prompts a
bad reaction. Dr. Sobol is in the middle of marrying Laura when the
indefatigable Jelly appears out of nowhere and forces the ceremony to a rapid
conclusion before forcibly extracting Ben, but not for therapy! Jelly knows
Vitti is not up to the pressure of the meeting of "the Commission" and
figures Ben can stand in on Vitti's behalf. Ben does a hysterical turn as a
mobster and engages Sidone in some public therapy. Just as Sidone is ready to
kill this annoying man, Vitti strolls in, feeling much better after some family
therapy, and drops a bombshell on "the Commission." When Sidone
confronts Vitti and gunplay ensues, a horde of NYC police and federal agents
swarm in and arrest the whole lot

In the end, Vitti is cured, though a little restrained, and Ben lives
happily ever after with his new bride. Fini.

Warner is to be commended for giving us a video transfer that looks this
good. Colors are well-saturated and vibrant and blacks are deep and solid. I
noticed neither shimmering or ringing, nor film grain or video noise of any
sort. It may seem odd for a comedy, but I have to classify this as reference
quality stuff, particularly since Warner blessed us with an anamorphic transfer.
I noticed only one small but annoying video issue, noted below.

The audio is impressive and entertaining across the frequency spectrum. The
vocals are crisp and clear whether from the squeakier Lisa Kudrow or the low
rumbling Joe Viterelli. Voices and effects pan nicely across the front
soundstage with clear channel separation. The action scenes are worthy of a
mention, as they showcase some excellent sound effects and use the subwoofer to
give the gunfire an impressive thumping quality. This is pretty good stuff, and
holds its own against all but a well-crafted action movie audio track.

Whoever first came up with the idea for casting Robert De Niro as Paul Vitti
is a certifiable genius! With a tough-guy résumé littered with stellar
mobster roles in The Godfather Part II, The Untouchables,
GoodFellas, and Casino, De Niro is utterly perfect to play Vitti.
The audience is primed to accept De Niro as a mobster without question, but then
we see him struggling to be a mobster amidst panic attacks and emotional crises.
The stark contrast is the key ingredient to the potency of the comedy, enhancing
the natural humor of the written script into something much greater, and setting
up Billy Crystal to play to his strengths as a basically likable guy forced into
a bewildering array of situations beyond his control. Chazz Palminteri is
hilarious as the straight-guy mobster and Lisa Kudrow is appropriately low-key
as the aggrieved spouse-to-be (and without the grating edge of her role on
Friends). As indicated on the commentary, much of the supporting cast was
drawn from the streets of New York, and their authentic look is testament to the
success of this casting method.

It may not be evident at first glance, but Analyze This owes much of
its success to the seriousness with which Robert De Niro, actor/producer Billy
Crystal, and writer/director Harold Ramis took the story. Paul Vitti is the
archetypal mobster, ringing true at every turn, even when he is in emotional
turmoil. Furthermore, his emotional problems are rooted in a well thought-out
and realistic traumatic event at the same time that they manifest themselves in
realistic fashion Ben Sobel is a very real psychiatrist, approaching the turmoil
of Vitti's problems as an actual psychiatrist would and with (bewildered and
nervous) compassion, Nobody goes for the cheap laugh or the gross-out here, but
they patiently milk humor in a more relaxed fashion from the constant clash
between the inconsistent demands of the mob and Ben's usual, quiet world.

A nice package of extras compliment the movie. On one commentary track,
Harold Ramis is his usual entertaining self with insights and stories, and on
the second commentary track Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro provide their
(separately recorded) observations. While it is true that the second commentary
track is frequently separated by long pauses, it is not too distracting, and I
think you will appreciate the very serious and measured comments from De Niro,
which might have been overwhelmed if he and Billy Crystal had recorded the track
together (as he notes himself). I also note with appreciation the approximately
five minute "gag reel" segment, which is an extra I wish was more
common. A high-quality theatrical trailer and filmographies round out the
extras. The main menu is static but uses a catchy bit of music, and Warner uses
the annoying snapper case as usual.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

In a number of scenes, the flesh tones appear overly red or purple to the
point where they are mildly distracting. I can't quite tell whether this is a
disc or a film issue, because in some scenes it does seem that the lighting
coloration is to blame, but in others I didn't spot any obvious cause.

The only point of contention regarding the story is in the end scene where
Ben Sobel fills in for Paul Vitti by borrowing an expensive Italian suit and
affecting a bizarre mobster persona. While it is true this is a departure from
the established character, I think it is equally true that the scene is much
funnier than a more restrained scene. Some may feel this is a flaw and some may
feel it was a trade-off worth making. I tend to fall in the latter camp, as not
letting Billy Crystal have an opportunity for a mini-standup routine would have
been a shame.

Closing Statement

A brilliant comedic mix of mobsters and psychiatry with some fine acting
talent gets a superb treatment by Warner, and at a reasonable price ($25). Are
you thinking of NOT buying this movie? Fuggedaboutit!

The Verdict

Without a question, the film and disc are acquitted! The Court thanks the
defendants for their patience.